Bloomberg Seeks Swift Action on Guns

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, with a group of people directly affected by gun violence at a news conference on Monday.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg continued his aggressive push for tougher gun laws Monday, seizing on the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in renewed calls for political action.

The mayor, a longstanding advocate for gun-control legislation, was joined by survivors and family members of victims in past shooting incidents at a news conference Monday. ”Words alone cannot heal our nation,” Bloomberg said. “Only action can do that.”

Bloomberg has emerged as one of the country’s foremost advocates of gun-control laws, leading a coalition of other mayors engaged on the issue and investing millions of his personal fortune to back candidates across the country who favor gun control. On Monday, however, he reflected on how the deadly rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School might prove to be a turning point in the national debate.

Separately, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for tougher federal laws to crack down on the interstate transport of guns and said he would propose state laws to close loopholes related to assault rifles.

Unlike other recent mass shootings that failed to catalyze significant legislative changes, Bloomberg noted that 20 of the 27 victims in Newtown, Conn, were children. “When it’s six- and seven-year-olds somehow or another it’s easier to connect and understand the tragedy,” he said.

The degree to which Bloomberg will use his personal wealth — arguably his greatest asset in the debate — remains unclear. When asked by reporters Monday if he would match the funding of the gun lobby, he replied: “I have no idea, but I’m going to do what I think is appropriate to try to impact the dialogue…Shame on me if I don’t.”

Bloomberg said gun control shouldn’t be seen as a partisan issue. ”This is just a bunch of people that I think are cowed by the NRA,” he said, referring to the National Rifle Association.

In particular, he called on Congress and President Barack Obama to pass legislation requiring background checks on all gun sales and banning both assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that store large numbers of bullets.

“These weapons and ammunition can be used to kill large numbers of people quickly,” Bloomberg said.